The professor, his sex parties and the £175,000 fraud

Exclusive: One of Britain’s most eminent pharmacists, Professor Charles
Butler, has admitted fraudulently claiming almost £175,000 of public money
for expenses to cover the cost of a non-existent assistant.

Prof Butler, who was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to the NHS, pretended he had to hire a locum to cover his absences at a pharmacy practice while he was working as an advisor to a health watchdog.

Prof Butler, a married father-of-five, is facing jail at Southwark Crown Court in London after he earlier pleaded guilty to fraud and drugs possession charges.

But police discovered that Prof Butler, an advisor to the Department of Health, had sold his practice years earlier.

During a raid on a flat he owns in Whitechapel, east London, officers also found drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, “crystal meth” and the date-rape drug GHB, which police believe were used during sex parties hosted by the 64-year-old.

Prof Butler, a married father-of-five, is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to fraud and possession of class A drugs. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

He is also now likely to face a disciplinary hearing at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, of which he is a fellow.

Related Articles

Prof Butler’s six-year scam was uncovered after police received a tip-off about the fraud from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), an independent body for which Butler had been working as a freelance consultant.

During the course of the investigation, detectives found that Butler, a former chairman and governor of the College of Pharmacy Practice, had claimed almost £175,000 in expenses from the Health Services Commission to pay for a locum at his practice while he was away.

But police discovered Prof Butler, who made the claims between July 2002 and January last year, had sold his practice in Reading, Berks., before he made the claims.

When they contacted the named “locum”, Kathrine Billing, they discovered she was a former employee of Butler who had not seen him since she resigned over a “clash of personalities” more than 20 years ago.

Mrs Billing, 57, of Crowthorne, Berks, said that when she was contacted by police: “I was shocked, scared and very upset about what was happening and what he could do to my career.

“Pharmacists are supposed to be trustworthy people but my confidence and trust has been completely broken. He was a senior person in the profession.”

During the raid on Prof Butler’s second home in London, police found cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, marijuana resin and the “date rape” drugs gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and rohypnol, which are powerful relaxants.

Sedatives including temazapam, diazepam, ketamine and midazolam were also discovered. Police sources said the drugs were used during sex parties.

Prof Butler has pleaded guilty in court to one count of fraud, two counts of obtaining property by deception, three counts each of possessing Class A and B drugs and five counts of possessing Class C drugs.

He was "unavailable" for comment at his large detached home in Reading, where a man believed to be one of his sons answered the door.

It is understood that Prof Butler is being supported by his wife Mary, 61, and their five children, Ruth, 35, John, 32, Kate, 31, Philip, 25, and Anthony, 20.

Prof Butler, a former visiting Professor at Reading University, has in the past worked as an advisor to the Department of Health on an investigation into NHS management of medicines.

A spokesman for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said Prof Butler was immediately referred to police after the “irregularities” were discovered.

“The PHSO takes the misappropriation of public money extremely seriously,” the spokesman said.

“Following our referral to the Metropolitan Police we asked our auditors to review our systems. They were satisfied with our internal procedure.”

A spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society added: “We have not been notified from any official source about any allegations regarding Prof Butler.

“When we are notified it will go through the normal channels to evaluate what, if any, disciplinary proceedings maybe necessary.”